Ninh Binh Club awakens from its dream.

From being the leading team in V.League 2025/26, Ninh Binh unexpectedly plummeted after a long break, suffering two consecutive defeats that exposed signs of fatigue both mentally and professionally.

Ninh Binh lost two consecutive matches. Photo: Ninh Binh Club .

Ninh Binh caused a surprise by consistently leading the V.League 2025/26 despite having just been relegated from the First Division the previous season. However, when the season resumed after a long hiatus for the Vietnam U23 team's participation in regional and continental tournaments, Hoang Duc and his teammates shocked everyone with two consecutive defeats, leaving them no longer in a position to take the lead in the race for the top spot.

The fun was suddenly interrupted.

When players are at their peak, a long break can be a disaster if the coach doesn't make good adjustments during training to maintain both the players' professional and mental highs. Ninh Binh seems to be following in the footsteps of numerous big teams that have left their mark before.

In fact, right from their debut in the V.League 2025/26, Gerard Albadalejo's team showed the makings of a championship contender with a very impressive run of matches. Until the break for the Vietnam U22 team to train and participate in the SEA Games 33, Ninh Binh consistently soared to the top of the standings with a well-rounded attacking and defensive performance. 26 goals scored to become the highest-scoring team and only 11 goals conceded to possess the most solid defense after 11 matches is a dream figure, forcing teams like CAHN, Hanoi , and The Cong to seriously consider Ninh Binh's strength.

What they have shown demonstrates that Ninh Binh is not a fleeting phenomenon or the surprise of a newcomer; they have the ability, and many of their players are of a high caliber.

Ninh Binh showed signs of decline when the V.League resumed. Photo: Ninh Binh Club.

But amidst the fans' dreamy anticipation of winning the championship right after their promotion to the V.League, as CAHN had once demonstrated, Ninh Binh… poured cold water on the fans, shattering their beautiful dream. Two consecutive defeats right after the season resumed brought Gerard Albadalejo's team back down to earth.

Those were extremely disastrous defeats for Ninh Binh. Against CAHN, Quang Nho's brutal tackle completely changed the course of the game, leaving Hoang Duc and his teammates empty-handed in the race for the championship.

However, the defeat against HAGL truly left Ninh Binh with their heads hanging low. Their opponent was languishing at the bottom of the table. They possessed a young squad, were no longer highly regarded, and were identified as a relegation candidate. Yet, Gerard Albadalejo's team couldn't win, and even suffered a complete defeat at home.

Watch out for a long slide.

Form is something Ninh Binh seems to be struggling with. Could it be that their previous winning streak has led Gerard Albadalejo's players to believe they have no rivals, resulting in complacency during preparation and underestimating their opponents when they face them?

That's the answer that only Ninh Binh can provide, accurately diagnosing the problem.

Hoang Duc and his teammates need to improve their performance. Photo: Ninh Binh Club.

However, looking at the goal tally in the last two matches, there's reason to believe in both the morale and performance of Ninh Binh. Conceding 5 goals in 2 matches, almost half the number conceded in the previous 11 games, is a terrible statistic.

Geovane shone with two goals in the last two matches, but one swallow doesn't make a summer when Daniel Anjos and Rodrigues were silent. In the match against HAGL, Ninh Binh had less possession, showing the weakness of renowned midfielders like Hoang Duc in organizing the game.

Above all, the two defeats have pushed Ninh Binh further behind in the championship race compared to CAHN. Clearly, being two points behind but having played two more games than the police team is a steep hurdle that will likely be overcome by Ninh Binh.

With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, if timely adjustments aren't made to revitalize both the team's morale and professional skills, the risk of this team sliding down the race for the top spot is very real.

Source: https://znews.vn/clb-ninh-binh-tinh-mong-post1626536.html